Of Dances and Decathlon's
by StBu
Summary: Sam and Laura are attracted to each other but neither has the guts to say anything - so their friends decide to give them some helpful prodding. Includes characters and Decathlon plot but not storm, slightly AU SAMXLAURA. Please R and R! Rating may change
1. Chapter 1

Sam's heart rabbited in his chest, deepening the red tinge already coloring his cheeks and thudding in his ears to the exclusion of all other noise; his breathing sped up and his mouth turned dry and he knew that at that moment his muscles wouldn't obey him even if he had wanted to move – he was paralyzed by her eyes.

He watched her pause in front of him, his mind unable to achieve coherent thought but at the same time cataloging everything he could about her; the deep brown luster of her long curls, her slightly pale flawless complexion, her chocolate eyes that so mercilessly seized his own, the seductive fullness of her lips, curved now into an innocent smile.

"Sam…" She whispered his name, her face coming closer to his, filling his vision. He wondered how he could hear her over his own heartbeat, whether she could hear it too, whether she knew what effect she could have on him. Her face drew ever closer, her eyes semi-lidded though still locked with his.

"Sam", she breathed his name again; he felt her breath tickle his face and slid his eyes closed, reveling in the sensation. He could feel her breath on his lips now, feel the heat radiating from her body and adding to the heat already coursing through his; he was in heaven, and he would give anything to feel her lips on his…

"Sam".

Her voice was suddenly distant, her tone questioning. He could feel neither her tickling breath nor the warmth of her skin; what was happening?

Sam felt cold, empty. "No", he moaned in frustration.

"Sam!"

His eyes snapped open to the glare of his calculus classroom, his neck stiff from his awkward sleeping position - slumped over his desk. He groaned as the bright light from the classrooms fluorescents stabbed at his retinas.

"Sam, are you feeling okay?"

In his confusion Sam had yet to notice the person that was leaning over him, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder, peering at him with a concerned expression.

Laura Chapman. The girl of his dreams – quite literally.

Sam's heart skipped a beat from shock and he jerked his body upright; Laura snatched her hand back and jumped with alarm, colliding with the desk behind her.

His face growing hot with embarrassment, Sam squeezed his eyes shut and leaned his forehead against his desk.

"Sorry", he muttered, feeling totally lame.

"It's, ah… its fine, Sam…"

Sam dreaded to think of what she must be thinking right now. He knocked his head on the desk in aggravation.

"Uh, the class is over…"

"Mhmm. Thanks." _Now please leave so I can die of humiliation._

"…Sam..." The sound of a chair being moved came to Sam's ears, and then rustling as Laura sat down. "Are you okay? I mean, you seem kind of… out of it… lately."

Sam turned his head to look at Laura. She was facing him from the chair to his right, resting her elbows on her knees and unconsciously chewing on her bottom lip. She looked hesitant and… _worried?_

_God, she even looks beautiful sideways, _Sam thought. He looked her straight in the eyes (something he usually didn't have the guts to do), admiring the way he could just lose himself in the swirls of color…

Sam realised he had been staring when Laura looked away, a pink tinge creeping into her complexion.

"I'm sorry – its none of my business, I shouldn't have pried–"

"No, wait." Panicked that she would leave Sam sat up and reached out and touched her hand then, realizing what he was doing, pulled his hand back again. Laura looked confused but stayed where she was.

_Tell her you're distant because you can't stop thinking about her! _Sam's mind screamed at him; Sam avoided her gaze for fear of her seeing the truth in his eyes.

"I-… um, it's just… I, uh…" _Sigh. _"No… no, I'm fine – just haven't been getting enough sleep lately," he lied. _Oh could you be lamer!_

Laura looked slightly skeptical but didn't pass comment. _She probably just wants to get away from Sam-the-stammering-dork as fast as possible_, he thought miserably. As if to confirm his suspicions Laura stood up quickly and grabbed her books off the desk.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay, then. See you round" She shot him a swift smile and walked towards the door.

"Thank you, anyway…" _Where the hell did that come from?_

Laura paused in her break for freedom and turned back to face him. This time her smile was wide and genuine.

"Anytime."

In his dazed state Sam managed to muster a silly grin before Laura turned again and disappeared out the door.

_Well, at least you didn't have dribble on your face…_

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"Anytime."

Laura's already pounding heart leapt into her throat as Sam grinned lazily at her; that cool, sexy grin that he hardly ever turned in her direction but that made her flush when he did. She was relieved that through her scattered thoughts she managed to steer herself through the door instead of into the frame, which was a definite possibility.

She couldn't seem to wipe her smile totally from her face as she wandered towards her locker and stashed her books. By the time she sat down to eat with her friends she was sure she had managed to get control of herself.

Jenny, Laura's best friend since middle school, glanced over at her in greeting then did a double take. Her hazel eyes narrowed with suspicion as she flicked her long brown hair out of her face.

"Hey, Lo, why the grin?"

_Damn._ "What grin?" Laura said shortly; Jenny might have accepted this and moved on but at that moment Laura glanced up and saw Sam walk into the cafeteria, and her face immediately betrayed her by flushing red.

Jenny followed Laura's eyes to Sam, then swiveled back to Laura. "For the love of God, Laura," Jenny moaned in frustration. "Not Sam _again_."

_Sam again_, Laura sighed in her mind. "Please, Jen. Just leave it alone."

"Lo, you know I love you; but this has got to stop! All this year – and half of last year - I've watched you pine for the guy, and you've never done anything about it. It's _path-etic_. You've asked guys out before; it's not as if you're incapable of doing it. Just _do it_; he'll say yes, I promise."

"Yeah, we'll even come with you and hold your hand, if you want," teased Ash, the self-proclaimed fashion guru of the group. Laura shot her a dirty and then ignored both of them, instead taking a bite of her sandwich. But every now and again her gaze would be drawn across the hall to where Sam sat chatting with his friends.

Laura didn't understand why she was so attracted to Sam; in the years they had gone to school together they hadn't spoken much and never quite became friends. They were both among the smartest in their class and they sat on adjacent desks in calculus, but as far as Laura could tell this was their only common ground.

He had, Laura decided, a fascinating intensity about him, a dark sexiness in his movements and expressions that contrasted with his sky blue eyes. It was true; Laura had successfully asked out and had relationships with other guys in the past. But none of those guys managed to jumble her thoughts with the intensity of his gaze, or make her feel either giddy with just a smile or confused and vulnerable with his indifference.

If she could keep her head together while talking to him long enough to ask him out, then she would. Unfortunately this had yet to occur; hence, the pining.

"Do you two want to hang at mine this arvo? My dad's working late so we can let loose, maybe decorate the kitchen with whipped cream again?" Ash's suggestion successfully pulled Laura out of her brooding and coaxed a grin onto her face.

"As long as we make sure the cream isn't off this time, I'm in." Jenny accompanied her proviso with some exaggerated retching, much to the amusement of her friends.

"Yeah, me too- oh shit no wait, I'm meeting with Brian about Decathlon after school. Damn. Sorry guys."

"Urgh, you're ditching us for your text books _again_! What kind of friend are you?" Jenny complained indignantly; Ash went for the pouting-and-puppy-dog-eyes-accompanied-by-high-pitched-wining approach. Neither worked – Laura simply smiled back at them and said nothing.

Jenny sighed dramatically. "I hate that you don't respond to emotional blackmail." Then, as if as an afterthought, she inquired "Have you found someone to fill the empty spot on your team yet?"

"No. Why – are you volunteering?" Laura teased.

"No. I was just curious," Jenny replied with an air of innocence.

While Laura wasn't looking, Jenny and Ash exchanged a cheeky glance that clearly said 'are-you-thinking-what-I'm-thinking?'

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Sam was attempting to rescue his history book from the jumble of stationary, rubbish and other books in his locker when he heard his name being called from down the hall. Holding his untidy heap of possessions in place with one arm, he turned to find Jenny and Ashleigh, Laura's two best friends, waving and smiling at him as they navigated their way towards him through the crowded hallway. _What could they want?_

"Hi Sam, how's it going?" Jenny chirped when they reached him.

Sam managed as uneasy half smile: they seem far too happy about something, and he knew that they had a well earned reputation for being two of the most devious and conniving girls in their class. "Um yeah, great. What's up?"

"Well," Ash gushed, "we were talking to Laura" – Sam's heart skipped at the mention of her name – "at lunch about Decathlon – you know, it's that extra-curricular where you answer weird questions?"

"Yeah I know; Brian's in the team too."

"Oh yes of coarse he is; silly me. Anyway, Laura was stressing out because they don't have the third member of their team yet, which means they can't compete."

"Which would be completely awful," Jenny chimed in. "And so we all brainstormed people who we thought would make good team members. Laura suggested Geoffrey, but I know he and Brian don't get along, and then I thought of Mia, who would be perfect, but then I realised that she's already preoccupied with her sports."

"Did you know she plays tennis, basketball _and_ soccer?" Ash asked in amazement.

"And, of coarse, we didn't want her game to suffer; that would be a crime against school spirit," Jenny added gravely.

"So I suggested you," Ash finished happily.

Now the conversation was taking a turn that Sam hadn't expected and wasn't prepared for. He looked from one smiling face to the other, trying in vain to decide if they were serious. "Me?"

"Yes, silly. You."

_Why would they think I would say yes to this? They must have lost it…_ Sam tried to sound apologetic as he began "Well, thanks, but-"

But Jenny had started speaking again. "And of coarse Laura jumped at the idea. She said you'd be perfect; that you're really smart-"

"I think she said genius, actually," interjected Ash.

"Right of course, my bad. And she said how nice you are-"

"No she said charming."

"Right, charming, and that she'd like-"

"-_love_-"

"-a chance to spend some more time with you," Jenny finished.

Sam was completely thrown off track by this point; Laura wanted to spend more time with him? Just the possibility of it made his heart beat faster. "She said that?" he questioned, his voice stunned and his eyes losing their focus.

The girls' smiles grew even wider and they both nodded emphatically; they knew how Sam felt about Laura – anyone who had been around them for more than 5 seconds could tell how they felt. They had been aiming for a reaction like this one. They had Sam cornered; now all they had to do was close the deal.

"But Laura forgot her Chemistry textbook, so she asked us to ask you for her. So what do you say; up for some Decathlon fun?"

Sam's thoughts were already flying ahead to spending more time with Laura, but he managed to concentrate enough to say "Huh? O yeah sure, sounds… yeah…"

"Great!" Jenny and Ash chorused.

"Laura's meeting with Brian this arvo to talk strategy. You should probably meet up with them then," Ash advised.

"Afternoon. Got it. Thanks." Sam grinned at them and turned back to look for his history book with renewed enthusiasm.

When Ash and Jenny were out of earshot they slapped each other a high five and let out the giggles they had been holding in.

"Isn't matchmaking just the funnest!" exclaimed Ash.

Jenny held up her arm for Ash's inspection. "I love doing that so much is makes my hands shake!"


	2. Chapter 2

Laura jogged up the stairs to the carpark with her head down, sorting through the bundles of papers in her arms; she was running late for her meeting with Brian and wanted to double check she had all the necessary paperwork and notes so they didn't waste any more time. Having almost reached the top of the stairs she glanced up, expecting Brian, but instead her eyes met a pair of sparkling blues ones.

In her surprise Laura neglected to lift her foot high enough to clear the last stair; she cried out in shock, stumbled and fell, just managing to catch herself before she ate concrete. The stack of paper flew from her hands and scattered in the air, landing strewn out on the asphalt at Sam's feet.

Laura, hunched on her hands and knees, attempted to steady her racing heart. She kicked herself mentally, mortified that her klutziness had reared its ugly head in front Sam. She felt her cheeks burn scarlet.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Sam strode forward and crouched down next to her. Laura let out a resigned sigh and muttered that she was okay. A detached part of her mind laughed at the black humor of her predicament.

Sam let out an amused chuckle. "Quite a fall you had there."

_Oh great, now he's laughing at me_, Laura thought, depressed. She ignored the comment, instead asking "What are you doing here?", as she busied herself with picking up the disordered heap of sheets. The words came out harsher than she intended. There was a pause before she heard Sam reply.

"I'm here for the meeting. I thought I'd ah… join the Decathlon team… unless you've already filled the spot…?" He sounded confused and slightly disappointed.

"Oh" Laura paused and sat up to meet his eyes for the first time. Sam shifted from foot to foot and looked back at Laura with a touch of uncertainty. Laura found his expression adorable and momentarily lost her train of thought.

She shook herself mentally and broke eye contact for a second. "Yeah, I mean, no, we haven't filled the spot yet. That would be great; we'd love you to join the team." _I'd love you to join the team._ She met his eyes again and offered a tentative smile. "Welcome aboard." Sam's expression cleared and he smiled back, and then knelt down to help her gather the papers.

"What is all this, anyway?"

"Oh, entrance forms and rules/guidelines for the Decathlon."

Sam whistled. "That's a lot of paperwork."

"Well, there are also copies of some of my notes on the topics they're going to question us on…" She trailed off and felt her cheeks flush again. _Lord, cant I do anything without looking like a clumsy geek?_ Attempting to salvage the conversation she asked "Where's Brian?"

"He had to use the loo," Sam let out a low chuckle; Laura thrilled in hearing his quiet, sexy laugh, and found herself responding with laughter of her own.

They finished stacking the sheets and stood up. An awkward silence descended on the pair. Laura racked her brains trying to think of something to say (all she could come up with was 'Lovely weather we're having', which she decided she would rather die than say). Fortunately Brian returned before she had time to humiliate herself.

"Hey" Brian said, eyeing them both slyly. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything", he added.

Sam shook his head no and Laura said "Nope"; neither noticed the color creeping into the other's face.

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Brian rolled his eyes at the obviousness and naivety of his two teammates.

They were all sitting around the coffee table in Brian's living room. Brian had taken the armchair for himself, skillfully (or so he credited himself) forcing Laura and Sam to sit next to each other on the couch opposite. He had hoped that forced proximity would allow them to get used to one another's presence and therefore ease the sexual tension between them.

How wrong he had been.

Sam and Laura sat as far away from each other as politely possible, both rigid and unmoving while pretending to be comfortable. They glanced at each other every now and again, but for the most part pretended to ignore each other.

The car ride over had been painful; it was either Brian talking to Laura or Brian talking to Sam, and quite frankly, Brian found it totally unfair that he had to drive the car _and_ maintain the flow of conversation.

They had successfully filled out all the entrance forms; all that remained was parental permission signatures.

"So", said Laura as she sat forward, her expression becoming animated. "The first round is in two weeks time, in New York. We should probably set aside some time for study sessions between now and then."

"How about one this week and one next week?" Brian suggested. "That ought to be enough." Laura nodded her agreement. "What day are you guys free then?"

"Tomorrow's the only day I'm not busy this week" Laura said apologetically.

"Sam?" Brian questioned.

"Huh? Oh, yeah tomorrow's fine for me."

"Alright- no wait, shoot, I forgot, Mum made me promise I would drive Claire to our Grandparents house on tomorrow afternoon – its Nana's birthday." Brian felt a little bad for lying to his friends, but if he was going to hang around them and still retain his sanity then they needed some serious alone time together. A study session wasn't exactly ideal; Brian would have much preferred to lock them in a confined space indefinitely. But a study session was what he had to work with, so a study session it would be.

"Oh." Laura's expression fell slightly. It was clear that she was keen to get started as soon as possible. Sam said nothing, instead seeming to lose grasp of the conversation and stare out the window.

"But hey," prompted Brian. "Why don't you guys do tomorrow? If you get the basics done then I can just catch up before next week."

"Good idea. What do you think, Sam?" Laura rounded to face Sam, in her excitement for the competition forgetting her discomfort.

Sam glanced at her, trying to bring his eyes into focus. "Huh?"

Laura sighed impatiently. "Study session tomorrow?"

"I already said yes to that," Sam retorted.

Laura rolled her eyes. "Fine".

"Fine," Sam mimicked immaturely, grinning at Brian.

_Oh, great; when they finally manage to talk to each other, they fight!_ Brian raised his eyes forlornly to the heavens. _What did I ever do to you?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_What am I doing?! I'm supposed to profess my undying love for the girl, not act like an immature shithead!_ He had been attempting to play it cool, not be so uptight, but he'd overshot in the extreme.

_Say something civil_, Sam demanded of himself.

"So, you're house or mine?" Sam slapped himself mentally and prayed that she missed the dirty undertones of the question.

"Mine?"

"Okay then…" _Don't stare at her, don't stare at her_… Sam repeated like a mantra, suddenly deciding that the couch was much smaller than he had first thought. _This would be much easier if she wasn't so beautiful. _Sam was disappointed and confused; he couldn't seem to reconcile her neutral expression with what her friends had said about her wanting to spend more time with him.

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"Mine?" Laura felt her impatience morph into a cross between elation and terror (she decided that this must be what it feels like to sky dive). She watched carefully for Sam's reaction, though she wasn't sure what she was hoping for – him doing a jig on the coffee table seemed a little out of the cards.

Sam stared back at her coolly. "Okay then." He held her gaze for a few seconds more, like he was cruelly trying to force a total meltdown of her brain. She searched his face but was disappointed with the cool aloofness of his expression.

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Brian watched them break eye contact; Laura began inspecting her fingernails while Sam's eyes traveled blankly to Brian's family photographs on the living room walls.

He realised why they couldn't see what everyone else could see plainly; they had had so much practice hiding their feelings from one another that each now appeared politely disinterested with the other. The realization prompted a wave of pity.

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Laura checked her watch for the seventh time in as many minutes and exhaled nervously. She was waiting for Sam in the school carpark; he was late and she was worried that he had forgotten. _Or maybe he's found something fun to do and has just ditched me._ She realised that she was fidgeting with her keys and tapping her feet impatiently, which only served to heighten her tension.

She leaned her head on the back of the seat, letting out a lengthy sigh. Deciding stressing did her no good whatsoever she started a meditative technique that helped calm her before exams. She sat with her eyes closed and just breathed, letting go of everything. She let thoughts come into her mind but didn't add to them with active participation; instead she just observed them, becoming detached from her own thinking processes. A feeling of immense calm stole over her body, soothing her nerves and smoothing away the tension she hadn't realized she had been holding in her forehead.

She felt a slight movement beside her and opened her eyes to find Sam going through his bag with excessive caution – some papers crackled and he winced, his hands freezing to stifle the sound. She smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"Hey." She kept smiling as she found herself completely composed, the meditation having cured her awkwardness for a time.

Sam glanced up at her. "Your awake now," he smiled lightly.

She laughed. "I was meditating, not sleeping. How long have you been sitting there?" she asked, frowning faintly.

"Um, a couple of minutes," he said sheepishly. Laura raised her eyebrow at him and he added, "You looked so peaceful - I didn't want to disturb."

"Much obliged," Laura's grin widened.

"Do you, ah, recon you could teach me?" Sam asked, fumbling with the zipper on his backpack.

"Teach you?"

He looked embarrassed and his reply was slightly shy. "You know, to meditate. That would definitely come in handy sometimes. Around exams, I mean. For the stress."

Laura had never seen Sam babble before; it made him all the cuter in her opinion. "Sure," she said happily, and immediately launched into an explanation of the mechanics of meditation.

"What, now?" Sam interrupted skeptically, eyebrows raised.

"No time like the present," she chirped. "Unless you're not up for it," she challenged playfully, amazed at her own cool. How was it she was suddenly flirting with Sam?

Sam seemed just as surprised as her, hesitating, his mouth hanging open. He leaned back on the seat and said "Okay." A bewildered smile crept into his expression.

Laura pulled her legs up and crossed them on the bench, facing Sam. "First," she instructed, "close your eyes". She took him through the principles of the technique then fell silent, allowing him to continue uninterrupted. She knew she shouldn't stare but she was fascinated by the way his expression slowly changed, going from amused to intensely focused, and finally becoming frustrated.

"You're trying to hard," she suggested. "Try placing your fingertips at your temples, just below the hairline." Sam complied. "A little higher." Without thinking Laura reached out and placed her hand over Sam's, adjusting its position. Tingles traveled up her arm at the unplanned contact, as if she had just narrowly avoided a fall. "There," she managed. "Just… concentrate on that spot." His skin was soft under her palm, soft and warm; she was loath to part with the feeling, and couldn't resist surreptitiously brushing her fingertips along it as she pulled her hand away. She could feel her heart pounding in her throat.

Looking at Sam's expression, it seemed to have worked; his face was blank, his breathing slowed, his hands unmoving.

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Sam closed his eyes, unable to control the bewildered smile that had crept onto his face. He listened to Laura explain the theory of the meditative technique – it seemed simple enough. When she fell silent he found himself wondering about her playful attitude. _Was it just a side effect of the meditation or was she actually flirting? _He remembered how she tranquil she had looked, just sitting there with her eyes closed, breathing. She had looked stunningly beautiful; he had not been able to bring himself to disturb her.

_Okay then_, Sam mused, finally getting round to the actual meditating part. _Clear my mind. Think, but don't think._ He concentrated, trying to separate his consciousness from his thoughts like Laura had explained. He tried as hard as he could, but the experience gave him no sense of calm and left him feeling frustrated and childish.

"You're trying to hard," came Laura's voice from his left. "Try placing your fingertips at your temples, just below the hairline," she suggested. Sam felt like an idiot but, not wanting to make her feel bad, he complied.

"A little higher."

Sam was about to move his hands when he felt a soft touch on his left hand – Laura's warm palm covering his. She gently guided has hand an inch towards his hairline, placing it at the right spot; Sam focused on the feeling of her hand to the exclusion of all else. He thought he heard Laura say something but the words were muffled and seemed irrelevant compared to the gentle caress of her fingertips that sent tingles and electricity in waves through his body. Even when she removed her hand he continued to bask in the feeling, losing himself in the aftershocks of the startling contact.

When he became aware of his surroundings once again he felt completely calm but at the same time his blood surged with electricity. He lowered his hands and opened his eyes.

"How do you feel?" Sam turned to her voice grinned enthusiastically; taking in her every aspect he decided that she was even more gorgeous than he remembered.

"Fantastic!" he exclaimed. He jumped to his feet and grabbed his backpack, swinging it over one shoulder. Then he picked up Laura's textbooks and nodded his head in the general direction of her car. "Should we go?"

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"How do you feel," Laura asked; she was almost recovered from the sensation of feeling his skin against her own.

Sam turned to her and grinned hugely. "Fantastic!" he said with enthusiasm; in that moment he looked so completely sexy that Laura would have leaned forward and kissed him. Unfortunately (_or maybe fortunately_, she thought) he jumped up and had already shouldered his bags, picked up her textbooks and asked "Should we go?" before she had recovered.

Laura nodded and laughed, feeling a little drunk and lightheaded.

_Tonight might turn out to be quite interesting after all_, she mused, somewhat torn between apprehension and delight.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sam let out a low whistle. "That's your house?" he questioned appreciatively. They had just pulled into the driveway of an impressive looking craftsman style two-story house; its wood sliding exterior painted dark green and it eaves bleached white. Clean grey shingles adorned its slanting roofs and the lawn and gardens were neat and well maintained. _Definitely up-market_, Sam decided.

"Yeah. We moved here last year – it's closer to dad's office."

"What does he do?"

"He's in insurance, life insurance for big company CEO's and things like that. He works a lot."

She was trying to sound dismissive of the fact but Sam could tell it bothered her. "My dad's never home either; he's a climatologist, so he spends a lot of time in the arctic drilling stupid ice cores." He had wanted to show he sympathized with her but had surprised himself with his openness – he usually wasn't even that open with his mates.

They got out of the car and walked towards the front door.

"That must be hard on your Mom," Laura said while she fiddled with her keys.

"They're divorced," Sam replied dismissively.

Laura paused in unlocking the door. "Sorry," she said; Sam could tell that she meant it. It helped to ease the bitterness he always felt when he talked about his father.

"Don't be. It's better for Mom this way." He gave her a half-smile and added "She's a doctor."

Laura returned his smile and opened the door, ushering him in and closing it behind them. The entrance hallway was well lit with thick white carpet lining the floor. Well-known paintings lined the walls at equal intervals; Sam recognized one of them from Art – a Monet, if he remembered correctly. There were no family portraits in sight.

Laura must have noticed him looking because she explained, "My step-mother's an art dealer."

In the car on the way over Sam had been fine, able to chat and joke with Laura in a way that had been thrilling. But now that he was in her house, where she ate, slept and showered, he could feel his nerves begin to rise again, his mind jumping from thought to thought erratically. He predicted with dread some stuttering in his near future.

Laura guided him into her living room, dumped her back and went into the kitchen, offering him a drink. He declined, instead dropping his bag next to the coffee table, sitting on the couch and gazing around the richly appointed room. Still no family portraits, he noted with interest.

Laura glided back into the room a few minutes later blowing on a cup of tea she had her fingers wrapped around. Sam noticed she had taken her shoes off and was now barefoot – he found the fact strangely exciting.

Laura placed her mug carefully on a coaster on the coffee table and sat down on the recliner opposite Sam. "Ready?" she questioned, her eyes alight with anticipation. From her expression Sam could tell that she really took a lot of pleasure in learning, and decided it was endearing rather than nerdy.

"Sure."

They split the topics in two, Sam took History and Science (his better subjects) while Laura took English lit and Art. Silence descended on the room, broken only by the crinkling of paper, the opening and closing of books and the shuffling of body parts as they each got comfortable. Without much thought Sam pulled his shoes off and crossed his legs in front of him, resting his physics notes in his lap and leaning his head into his palms (elbows supported on knees) to read them. He glanced up to find Laura looking at him with an amused expression.

_Shit_, he realised. _I'm rubbing my filthy smelly socks all over her expensive furniture._ "Sorry", he apologized swiftly, moving to put his feet back on the ground. "Should I not-"

"Oh no, really, it's fine," she insisted. Though she didn't laugh Sam could read the amusement in her eyes. "Really," she repeated, illustrating her point by tucking her own legs under her body.

_Well, I embarrassed myself but at least I didn't break any house rules._ He pulled his feet back up, this time hugging one knee to his chest and laying his notes on the inside thigh of his other leg – this was to position he usually sat in when he studied.

Sam attempted to lose himself in the information, but he couldn't resist taking a peek at Laura every few minutes. She was leaning her elbow on one arm rest, her legs still tucked beneath her and a text book resting in her lap. She chewed on her bottom lip as she read, and occasionally he would see her lips form words as she followed the information in front of her. An adorable frown of concentration creased her forehead.

It dawned on Sam that this was the perfect time to tell her how he felt about her. They were alone in Laura's house, so there would be no interruptions, and they had been getting along well… _Laura_, he practiced in his head. _Hey Laura? Hey Laura…Laura… I enjoy being around you… no, this is fun… I like you… do you think we could see a movie sometime? Do you want to go grab some dinner after this? Yeah, that's it…cool and casual, Sam. Cool and casual…_Sam took a calming breath and fixed his eyes on Laura. His pulse quickened.

"Hey Laura?" Sam's voice shook slightly and he swallowed. Laura met his eyes; he could see her trying to pull her thoughts away from the facts she was memorizing.

"Hmmm?"

_Here goes_; Sam prepared himself for the plunge. "Would you-"

A crash came from down the hall, closely followed by high pitched screeches and giggles. Sam jumped and stopped talking. He felt his face flush a deep red.

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Every few minutes Laura stole a glance at Sam. He looked totally relaxed as his eyes lazily perused the sheets resting on his thigh - the very picture of intense sexiness. She took in his carelessly messy hair and felt a strong urge to run her hands through it, exactly how she would if she were to kiss him…

Flushing at where her imaginings were taking her (being alone in her house with him had heightened the recklessness of her thoughts) Laura let herself slip into the world of historical art in her hand – _Da Vinci, Van Gough, Monet, Vermeer…_

"Hey Laura?" Sam's voice broke through her preoccupation. She glanced up at him while she cleared her mind of the swirls of color and line and found herself staring at the subtle movements of his lips.

"Hmmm?" He paused and swallowed, twisting his lips deliciously.

"Would you-" Laura winced and closed her eyes to the crash and subsequent squeals and piercing laughter. _God no._ She knew exactly who that was. She attempted an apologetic smile at Sam but managed something more along the lines of a grimace.

"I'll be right back." She uncurled off the recliner and hurried towards the hall, leaving Sam to stare after her in confusion. Laura swung herself around the corner into the entrance hall and almost collided with her red-faced and giggling older sister Melody, accompanied as always by the group of twittering idiots she called friends.

Melody shrieked "_Lorsy_!!" and lurched forward to throw her arms around her neck, leaning on her heavily. Fuming, Laura struggled out of her grip and walked over to where the door had smashed into the wall. There was a huge indent in the plasterboard where the handle had stuck.

She rounded on her sister and hissed "Look what you did!"

"Oh, go and taddle tale to Mum, bloody goody-two-shoes!" Melody's retort prompted a fresh round of giggling from her minions, who were now holding onto one another to stop from keeling over.

"I bet your textbooks are missing you, _Lorsy_!" sneered Melissa, who had been Melody's best friends for as long as Laura could remember; she had always been a nasty piece of work. Laura hated it when they called her that and they knew it. She struggled against her anger; she absolutely refused to get into a shouting match while Sam was in the house. Heaven help them when he left though…

"Just be quiet for once, would you!" Laura demanded, keeping her voice low.

"Why are you whispering?" Melody laughed back at her. Laura tried to stare her down but her eyes flicked involuntarily towards the living room doorway. Melody's eyes widened and her smile grew maliciously.

"Laura Chapman, is there a _boy_ here?!" she teased evilly, causing Laura's cheeks to burn. The next thing Laura knew Melody had swung around and was sashaying down the hall towards the living room and Sam, throwing a look of pure malice over her shoulder at Laura. Laura was rooted to the spot by panic as she watched the gaggle of idiots trail after their fearless leader.

_I can't leave Sam in there alone!_ She shook herself and hurried after them just as the last minion disappeared around the corner. The scene that assaulted her senses when she entered the room was straight out of a nightmare; Melody was sitting on the couch with Sam, practically lying on top of him, one hand resting on his knee and the other stroking his neck. The other girls were either perched on the coffee table, as close to his legs as possible, or leaning over the back of the couch and eyeing him seductively.

Melody noticed Laura walk in and her lips curled cruelly. She leaned in close to Sam's ear and whispered something, just as her hand slowly crept up his thigh.

_And this is where it ends_, Laura knew as she watched the display in horrified slow-motion. Melody was everything guys wanted; fun, sexy, experienced, exciting and, most importantly, easy. Everything that Laura wasn't. No guy could resist a display of sensuality like that – she knew from past experience that guys were perfectly happy to dump her for her sister. Laura waited for the inevitable "Can we finish studying some other time?" so she could go cry her frustrations out into her pillow. That was the way it worked.

Sam's eyes met hers just as Melody dropped her patented earlobe-kiss on him, his eyes were widened in panic and his lips pressed into a line. He held her gaze for an instant and then burst into action, firstly shrugging Melody roughly away from him, causing her to cry out "What the hell!" in fury. Then he leaped through a gap in the shocked circle of skank's surrounding him and swooped to the floor where Laura's keys lay, picking them up and then striding around the couch towards their owner.

"I think it's time to go," he said quietly, though she could see the anger in his eyes and hear it shaking his voice. He stood in front of her, between her and the couch, and gave a reassuring half-smile. She nodded and looked once more towards her sister, who was still sitting on the lounge fuming.

"Someone _finally_ chose you, _Lorsy_," Melody spat at her. "You'll be very happy together - until he realizes what a total loser you are!" Rejection wasn't something Melody was accustomed to, especially not rejection for her little sister; guy's Laura's age usually threw themselves at older girls.

Laura watched Sam's eyes shut tightly and jaw muscles clench, his hands balled into fists as he fought his anger. When he opened them the intensity of his gaze shook her. It was definitely time to leave. She turned and strode into the hallway, Sam's footsteps following closely behind her.

Neither of them spoke a word until they were two blocks away from the house. Laura's knuckles were white from her death grip on the steering wheel. She wanted nothing more than to break down and cry – many a sisterly confrontation had lead to the same feeling of worthlessness. But she refused to cry in front of Sam.

"Are you alright?" Sam finally broke the silence. Laura could tell from his voice that he had calmed down a lot.

"No," Laura replied honestly, thankful that driving gave her a good reason to avoid his eyes. "I'm so sorry about that. She's… she's always been like that. I really hate her."

"It wasn't your fault," he said simply. "Has that, um…" he hesitated awkwardly.

"Happened before?" she finished for him. "Twice. The last two boyfriends I took home received the same… attentions…" Thinking about it made Laura feeling physically ill. "They both dumped me and jumped at her within the same breath. She kept them around until she was sick of parading them in front of me, then she ditched them."

"That's awful!" Sam burst out angrily and she jumped with surprise. "What gives her the right to treat you like that?!"

"She's hated me since…" Laura hesitated and reconstructed her answer. "For a long time." She finished lamely. "I think she does it because she can; she's pretty and knows exactly how to use it to her advantage. Most other guys would have thrown themselves at her." She stole a glance at Sam; he was watching her attentively.

"Well most guys are prick's." Both the statement and his tone sounded so final and indisputable that she suddenly exploded into laughter. The angry tension in her body eased away until finally it was gone completely. Some tear's had escaped from her eyes but she just kept smiling and wiped them away with the back of her hand, uncaring.

"Yes. Yes they are." She grinned over at him and could see that he was seriously assessing her level of sanity. She returned her eyes to the road.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Sam again broke it.

"She definitely wasn't my type."

"No?"

"No."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sam glanced up from where he was doodling on the back of his calculus test to check the time. He sighed in boredom – there were still ten minutes to go, and he had already suffered idly through fifteen. Calculus tests were the worst.

He stole a glance at Laura and saw that she was steadily working her way through the second last question. Her hand writing was neat and efficient but had a slight flourish that he thought added her essential Laura-ness to it. _I definitely spend too much time watching her if I'm starting to personify her writing_, he mused. Laura appeared to feel him watching her and quirked an eyebrow at him. When she saw he had finished she rolled his eyes and he grinned sheepishly back at her before she returned her attention to her paper.

It had been just under two weeks since their study session and in that time they had begun to develop a casual friendship; Sam was definitely more comfortable talking to her now and couldn't wait for calculus everyday so he had a good excuse to see her. He liked to think that she found this agreeable as well. The unwelcome scene with her sister had definitely broken the ice on their situation, though they had avoided that and other serious topics in favor of light chit-chat.

Thinking about how Melody treated Laura still shocked him. Not having any siblings himself he couldn't personally compare but he had never heard of anyone having this bad a relationship with their sister. He had a suspicion that something had happened years ago that their relationship had never recovered from. Having Melody and her friends try and seduce him had confused and panicked him enough, but when he saw Laura in the doorway he had felt a surge of understanding and clarity (something he rarely experienced when Laura was in the vicinity), followed by anger and protectiveness. He had never seen someone look so beaten down and dejected in such a short period of time. He knew that he had been rough with Melody, but even though he was raised to believe women should never be manhandled he also knew that she deserved it.

What had shocked him the most was that Laura seemed to think that she was worth less than her trampy older sister. For a person he had always admired as being intelligent, confident and beautiful this was mind-boggling.

His mind was pulled back to the present by the shrill call of the bell, signaling the end of the lesson. The class let out a collective sigh of relief as they passed their paper's to the front of the room and gathered their books to leave.

"How long did that take you?" Laura smiled at him as they walked into to the already crowded corridor.

Sam shrugged and replied "Long enough."

Laura laughed. "You can tell me – I won't tease you or anything."

"Um… twenty-five minutes." Sam admitted.

Laura shook her head in wonder. "That's crazy! You do nothing in class and then zip through the test in no time while the rest of us stress out and barely finish."

Sam scratched his neck, slightly embarrassed by the praise. Truth be told he had found that test harder than usual, having spent the past two weeks of calculus lessons focused on Laura. He had to go to History anyway, so he instead said "I'll see you this afternoon," and walked away.

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Laura watched the clock tick through the last agonizing minute of the last lesson of the day. She couldn't wait to spend some extra time with Sam outside of school, where she could let her hair down – while getting some studying done, of course. She just thanked God that they were studying over at Brian's place this time; she shuddered at the thought of having Sam in her house again after what Melody had tried.

While she hated Melody for doing it, Laura felt an odd sort of liberation from her sister's shadow because of the way things had turned out. Having being hurt twice before in the same way, Laura knew she had been harboring the fear that – if she and Sam ever got together – he would do the same thing. She knew that losing him in that way would be twice as bad as losing any other guy and she didn't know how she would handle that – she realised after the fact that this was one of the things causing her to shy away from starting a real relationship with him.

The bell sounded and Laura hurried to get her things and meet Sam and Brian at the carpark- they were both already there waiting. The three of them climbed into Brian's car and drove to his house, which was neat and tidy but smaller and significantly less expensive looking than Laura's. It had an air of family warmth that made her feel instantly comfortable.

Since they were all supposed to have been studying for two weeks, they decided to use tonight as a quiz night. Each person would take a turn to quiz the other two on whatever topic they wanted. They managed to get most questions correct and Laura was pretty happy with their preparation. She could really feel the enthusiasm in the room, and though Sam, being less competitive, was more subdued than her and Brian, she could tell he was happy joking around and laughing as a team. She couldn't have asked for better teammates; it was all coming together.

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Brian congratulated himself – he didn't know what had happened between Laura and Sam that had made them more comfortable around each other, but he did know it happened at the study session and therefore could be credited to him. It was almost too easy.

Granted, they weren't exactly holding hands and finishing each others sentences, but he thought it was definitely a step in right direction. His only worry was that they would fall into the 'we're just friends' trap and stay there, too afraid to be honest about how they felt.

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New York was in two days time, and this was exiting to Sam for a number of reasons. Firstly he had never been to New York before and had always wanted to go – the fast-paced, grimy big-city culture had always fascinated him. Secondly, and more importantly, the trip wasn't just the competition but included the visitors bunking with students at Pinehurst academy (the school that was hosting the first round) and a day of sight seeing. Which meant spending time with Laura away from the nonsense of school and family – especially family.

There was only one obstacle between Sam and New York – his fear of flying.

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Sam opened his tenth packet of peanuts and started nervously throwing them into his mouth – eating peanuts was the only thing that kept him sane while in the air. They had been in the air for half an hour but to Sam it felt like hours had passed.

Sam had the seat closest to the isle, Laura sat in the middle and Brian sat nearest the window. Both Laura and Brian seemed unaffected by the fact that they were hurtling along at 250m/s, thousands of feet above the ground (it was times like these that Sam cursed his good memory and active imagination); they were happily absorbed in rereading their study notes.

"You alright?" Sam glanced up to find Laura smiling slightly at him, eye brows raised.

Sam didn't feel like admitting to the girl he was falling in love with that he was scared out of his wits, so he kept his mouth shut and nodded back, then returned to his peanuts.

"He's afraid of flying," came Brian's voice from the window seat. Sam shot him a dirty. _Memo to self – kill Brian at the earliest convenient time._

"I'm fine," he insisted, then unconsciously threw another handful of nuts into his mouth.

_Ding_. Sam looked up to find the 'FASTEN SEAT BELT' sign blinking down at him; the words 'LIFE VEST UNDER YOUR SEAT' appeared ominously below it. Sam could feel the first signs of panic begin to settle in.

"You know statistically, the chances of a plane going down because of turbulence it less than what, one in a billion?" Brian had always had a habit of sprouting unhelpful facts at the wrong time. Sam felt his breathing begin to constrict. "Or is it a million? I can't remember if it's a million or a–"

"Shut up Brian." Sam felt Laura lean closer to him and say reassuringly, "Listen Sam; don't pay attention to him okay? Everything's fine; they're still serving drinks," she added to illustrate her point. Sam nodded at the head rest in front of him. Hearing Laura's voice was soothing and he swallowed, pushing down his fear. He might have succeeded if at that moment a stewardess hadn't hurried down the isle and motioned for her drink serving colleagues to go back to their seats. The plane started to shake.

"Folks, it seems were going to have a bit of a bumpy ride here for the next few minutes," the captains voice sounded over the intercom. "We ask that you please fasten your seat belts and put your tray tables and seat backs in their upright positions until we get through this, thank you." He sounded hurried and the plane jerked suddenly, surprising the passengers and causing some to call out in alarm. Sam heard someone yell "Grab it!" and looked down the isle only to narrowly avoid being decapitated by a runaway drink trolley.

The cabin began shaking and jerking gut-wrenchingly and Sam pushed himself back against his seat, muscles tensed. He couldn't breathe and grabbed the armrest next to him in total panic, squeezing tightly. Stupidly glancing out the window he saw the wing looking so unsteady that he was sure it would snap off at any second. Not good.

Bags began falling from the overhead lockers; one hit Sam on the shoulder and he looked around in wild alarm.

It was over as soon as it had begun; the cabin steadied and the flight crew started picking up loose luggage. Sam still sat tensely; bolt upright in his seat, his breathing coming in shallow gasps and his heart thumping. His mind was frozen with shock.

"Sam?" Laura's voice cut through the miasma in his head; he started and looked at her in confusion. Her eyes dropped to the armrest between them and then flicked back up at him. "Can I have my hand back?"

Sam's eyes traveled to where his hand gripped the armrest, or more accurately, to where he had Laura's hand pinned fiercely between his hand and the armrest. He let go in embarrassment and she flexed her fingers as if they were cramped. He laughed nervously and smiled at her with what he hoped was a charming grin but what was probably extremely goofy. She was clearly amused by how lame he was because she laughed softly, smiling as she returned to her studying.

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Laura almost didn't tell Sam her hand was trapped under his; the death grip was worth the feeling of his hand covering her own – contact that her mind and body craved. But she reconsidered. Her hand would lose feeling eventually, and he would notice and probably think she was a weirdo.

He looked so cute in his obvious embarrassment and Laura found the fact that he was afraid of flying absolutely adorable. She promised her self that she would tell him that, one day.

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It was ten o'clock, the day just beginning to warm when Sam, Laura and Brian climbed out of the taxi and gazed up at Pinehurst Academy.

"Looks rich," Brian observed dryly – a rich school meant rich kids.

"We're already five minutes late, let's go." Laura had been fidgeting nervously since they got off the plane. Brian knew she was stressing about the competition; she really wanted to do well.

Sam said nothing, instead shouldering his bag and starting for the entrance. A man of few words, was Sam.

They entered the reception area and Laura marched up to ask to woman manning the desk for directions. She apologized, saying she knew they were late but they had hit traffic.

The receptionist laughed good-naturedly as she checked her watch. "Oh, don't worry honey, your not late at all – your actually twenty-five minutes early. The competition doesn't start until eleven."

Laura glanced at her wristwatch, clearly confused. "But…" she began, and then trailed off, her eyes clearing in understanding. "Oh, I forgot – I set my watch half-an-hour early so we wouldn't be late!" She laughed in relief, though it had a slightly hysterical edge to it.

"Of coarse you did, honey," the woman nodded seriously. She took their names (Laura was too distracted to remember her surname so Brian supplied it for her) and gave them directions to a room where they could "sit and try to calm down" before the competition began.

The further the trio got into the school complex the jitterier Laura became. Brian noticed that she had started muttering things under her breath, and she constantly made them stop so she could check something on her notes in her backpack. When they paused to use the toilet she tried to follow the boys through their door; Sam had to turn her around and gently guide her towards the female lavatory and usher her inside.

"Are you always this stressed out before exams?" Sam asked bluntly as they walked into a well appointed sitting room. Other students looked up as they entered and either appraised them suspiciously or nodded in greeting. Brian applauded Sam's direct approach – subtle definitely wouldn't work at the moment.

"Huh?" Laura looked at Brian blankly, obviously confused as to who had spoken.

Sam cleared his throat. "I said do you always stress this much?"

"I'm not stressed," Laura replied weakly. Brian and Sam looked back at her in disbelief. She heaved a sigh. "Okay; I'm a little stressed out. It's only because there's so many things they could ask us, there's no way I know everything I should – Lake Titicaca!" Brian jumped when she exclaimed the last, and then dived into her bag to check some notes. He could see his shock mirrored in Sam's expression and he shrugged his shoulders at his, silently asking what they should do. Sam looked at Laura crouching over her notes, muttering, and then looked back at Brian. He appeared to come to a decision.

"Some water might help, Brian," Sam suggested. Brian didn't think this was especially brilliant but didn't have a better idea himself, so he left in search of a water cooler. _I hope he has something else up his sleeves_, he thought to himself, _because Laura isn't gong to be much help if she can't think straight. _

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After Brian left to look for water Sam turned his attention to Laura. She did look a little ridiculous crouched over her bag next to the door like that – gorgeous, but slightly ridiculous. He crouched down next to her and gently but firmly removed both her bag and her notes from her grasp.

"What-" Laura began, but Sam was already walking towards to nearest empty lounge. He dropped her bag and notes next to it and turned back to find Laura trailing behind him. She stopped in front of him and raised an eyebrow, clearly asking what the hell he thought he was doing. If looks could kill.

"Sit." Sam said. "Please," he added when Laura looked less than impressed at being ordered around. Laura glanced longingly at her possessions, glared at him and sat down grudgingly.

"Okay." Sam sat next to her. "Close your eyes." Laura seemed to realize what he was doing because she started shaking her head doubtfully.

"Sam, I don't think now-"

"Sure it is," he insisted as reassuringly as he could. Seeing that she still looked unsure he said "Fine," and closed his own eyes, breathing slowly and deeply. After a minute he peeked at her out of the corner of his left eye to find she had taken the bait and was mirroring his own actions. He searched her face and was satisfied when he found the signs of worry were already lifting from her face.

Sam had started using the meditation technique more often in the past two weeks and was finding it easier and easier to slip into the reflective state of calmness. Disregarding the thought that the other students in the room were probably laughing at them, he focused himself inward and let go.

When he finally opened his eyes and turned to Laura he found her shuffling through her retrieved sheets, apparently just as stressed as she was before. Sam sighed; he had tried.

Laura looked up and smiled at his defeated expression. "Don't worry," she assured him. "I'm just sorting them." She neatened the pile and slipped them back into her bag as proof. Then she sat back and added. "Thanks. I can't believe I didn't think of that."

"Well, I had to do something; you were freaking Brian out." Sam joked. Laura laughed, that soft musical sound made Sam shiver.

"Where is Brian?"

"I sent him for water. He should be back soon…" Realizing the truth in his words, and given the electric clarity that overtook his mind in the aftermath of meditation, Sam felt an irresistible urge to tell her how he felt about her, and immediately. Without any further thought about what he was going to say he shifted his weight so he was facing Laura, his legs crossed in front of him and his elbows resting on his knees. "Laura?" he asked quietly.

Laura grinned and playfully mirrored his pose, which unintentionally brought her face within a foot of his and made his heart suddenly start beating a tattoo against his rib cage. "Sam." She replied in the same lighthearted tone, still smiling. _Why is it she always sounds like she flirting after she meditates? Maybe she is flirting… _The thought was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.

"There's something I-"

"Excuse me; I hope I'm not interrupting?" Both Sam and Laura looked up to find another student smiling down at them. He was tall and well built with dark curly hair, dark eyes and a friendly open face. The emblem on his blazer announced him as a student of Pinehurst Academy. Sam disliked the way he kept his eyes focused on Laura.

Laura was the first to recover. She smiled at him and replied "Not at all." Sam managed a half smile, but pretty boy barely looked at him.

"I couldn't help but notice; were you just meditating?" he sounded like it was the most fascinating thing in the world. Sam rolled his eyes at the guy's obviousness, but Laura either didn't notice or didn't mind because she happily kept the conversation going.

After introducing one another (and Laura introducing Sam) the two completely ignored him for a few minutes, chatting away like old friends. Sam listened, his mood becoming darker by the second. Apparently 'J.D', as his friends called him, was in his senior year at Pinehurst, was Senior Class President and was 'really nervous about the Decathlon'. He had joined the team, he said, to beef up his college application, but had been caught up in the 'intensity of it all'. Sam could see Laura warming to the guy and wanted to hurl.

They had just started on college preferences when two things happened; a teacher opened a side door to the room and announced that the competition was about to begin, and Brian hurried back in through the main doors with three plastic cups balanced in his hands.

"It took me forever to find the water and then I got lost on the way back." He took in Sam's dark expression, Laura's happy one and the random addition to the equation, and asked "What did I miss?"


End file.
